with any of us on a personal level.’
‘Other than the fact that we are Londoners,’ the man went on.
‘Does Chiswick count?’ another asked and there were more chuckles.
‘We are representatives of the city of London,’ Dunham reminded them. ‘All decisions made by this office should be for the good of the city and its inhabitants, not the personal advancement of one man. Especially not a man like Voronov.’
‘A foreigner, you mean?’ one of the other men said dismissively.
‘He’s a Jew, isn’t he?’ one of the other men offered.
‘His nationality has nothing to do with it,’ Dunham snapped. He paused and sucked in a thoughtful breath. ‘But there is something … disagreeable about Voronov, I’ll admit that.’
‘So are we deciding the future of this project on its viability or on the personality of the man who wants to push it through?’ the man closest to Dunham wanted to know. ‘If planning permission was decided on personality then nothing would ever be built in this city.’
Dunham smiled and looked around the table at his companions.
‘My initial instinct is that this project should be denied planning permission,’ he said, flatly. ‘For the reasons we’ve discussed today and also at previous meetings.’ He sat forward, rested his elbows on the long wooden table and steepled his fingers.
‘Voronov will have the right of appeal, won’t he?’ Adrian Murray enquired. ‘He can appeal against this decision through the Council if he wishes.’
‘Of course,’ Dunham went on. ‘I’m sure he’ll find ways of trying to counter our negativity.’ He smiled.
‘Like he did with the Crystal Tower?’ the man nearest Dunham murmured.
‘Well, Voronov seems to think that everyone and everything has a price,’ Dunham mused. ‘Perhaps we should put that theory to the test.’ He glanced down at the file of papers in front of him then picked up his pen and scribbled one word on the top sheet:
DENIED.
TWENTY-FOUR
‘We could have met at your place.’
Jess sipped at her red wine and looked across the table at Alex Hadley.
‘I told you when you rang it wasn’t convenient,’ he told her without looking at her. ‘Besides, there isn’t room to swing a fucking cat there.’
They sat in silence for a moment then Jess pushed her phone across the table towards Hadley who picked it up and scrolled through the shots.
‘Who’s the dead guy?’ he asked.
‘I’m not sure of his name but it’s not his name that interests me,’ she said, moving her chair around so she could also see the screen of the phone. She pointed to one of the pictures, outlining something on it. ‘There’s no blood.’
Hadley frowned and inspected the picture more closely.
‘Not in that one or any of the others,’ Jess went on.
‘That’s not possible,’ Hadley said, quietly.
‘Then where is it?’
Hadley stroked his chin.
‘I need to get back inside the Crystal Tower,’ she told him.
‘And how are you going to do that?’
‘I was hoping you might have some ideas. That’s why I called you.’
Hadley looked carefully at the photos once again then handed the phone back to Jess.
‘Break in,’ he said, flatly.
Jess looked at him in silence for a moment.
‘How the hell else are you going to do it?’ Hadley enquired. ‘You had a run in with one of Voronov’s security men last time, didn’t you? They know what you look like now. They’re not going to let you within a mile of that place.’
‘If they’ve got nothing to hide then it shouldn’t be a problem,’ Jess smiled.
Hadley looked at her and shook his head.
‘Are you going to help me?’ she asked.
‘Help you do what?’
‘Find out what’s going on?’
‘A series of unfortunate accidents is what’s been going on, Jess, nothing more.’
‘There’s a story there, Alex, I’m telling you. I can’t believe you’re so resistant to it. If you help me we could write it together.’
‘Is this a bit of charity
‘Other than the fact that we are Londoners,’ the man went on.
‘Does Chiswick count?’ another asked and there were more chuckles.
‘We are representatives of the city of London,’ Dunham reminded them. ‘All decisions made by this office should be for the good of the city and its inhabitants, not the personal advancement of one man. Especially not a man like Voronov.’
‘A foreigner, you mean?’ one of the other men said dismissively.
‘He’s a Jew, isn’t he?’ one of the other men offered.
‘His nationality has nothing to do with it,’ Dunham snapped. He paused and sucked in a thoughtful breath. ‘But there is something … disagreeable about Voronov, I’ll admit that.’
‘So are we deciding the future of this project on its viability or on the personality of the man who wants to push it through?’ the man closest to Dunham wanted to know. ‘If planning permission was decided on personality then nothing would ever be built in this city.’
Dunham smiled and looked around the table at his companions.
‘My initial instinct is that this project should be denied planning permission,’ he said, flatly. ‘For the reasons we’ve discussed today and also at previous meetings.’ He sat forward, rested his elbows on the long wooden table and steepled his fingers.
‘Voronov will have the right of appeal, won’t he?’ Adrian Murray enquired. ‘He can appeal against this decision through the Council if he wishes.’
‘Of course,’ Dunham went on. ‘I’m sure he’ll find ways of trying to counter our negativity.’ He smiled.
‘Like he did with the Crystal Tower?’ the man nearest Dunham murmured.
‘Well, Voronov seems to think that everyone and everything has a price,’ Dunham mused. ‘Perhaps we should put that theory to the test.’ He glanced down at the file of papers in front of him then picked up his pen and scribbled one word on the top sheet:
DENIED.
TWENTY-FOUR
‘We could have met at your place.’
Jess sipped at her red wine and looked across the table at Alex Hadley.
‘I told you when you rang it wasn’t convenient,’ he told her without looking at her. ‘Besides, there isn’t room to swing a fucking cat there.’
They sat in silence for a moment then Jess pushed her phone across the table towards Hadley who picked it up and scrolled through the shots.
‘Who’s the dead guy?’ he asked.
‘I’m not sure of his name but it’s not his name that interests me,’ she said, moving her chair around so she could also see the screen of the phone. She pointed to one of the pictures, outlining something on it. ‘There’s no blood.’
Hadley frowned and inspected the picture more closely.
‘Not in that one or any of the others,’ Jess went on.
‘That’s not possible,’ Hadley said, quietly.
‘Then where is it?’
Hadley stroked his chin.
‘I need to get back inside the Crystal Tower,’ she told him.
‘And how are you going to do that?’
‘I was hoping you might have some ideas. That’s why I called you.’
Hadley looked carefully at the photos once again then handed the phone back to Jess.
‘Break in,’ he said, flatly.
Jess looked at him in silence for a moment.
‘How the hell else are you going to do it?’ Hadley enquired. ‘You had a run in with one of Voronov’s security men last time, didn’t you? They know what you look like now. They’re not going to let you within a mile of that place.’
‘If they’ve got nothing to hide then it shouldn’t be a problem,’ Jess smiled.
Hadley looked at her and shook his head.
‘Are you going to help me?’ she asked.
‘Help you do what?’
‘Find out what’s going on?’
‘A series of unfortunate accidents is what’s been going on, Jess, nothing more.’
‘There’s a story there, Alex, I’m telling you. I can’t believe you’re so resistant to it. If you help me we could write it together.’
‘Is this a bit of charity
Similar Books
